


Night Terrors

by Dawn1000



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst and Feels, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pain, Romance, Soldiers, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 02:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19758625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawn1000/pseuds/Dawn1000
Summary: In Darius's darkest moments, he can see himself drowning in a river of blood-one of his own making. But Lionel is always there to pull him out, and Darius prays to God that he'll never have to be without him.





	Night Terrors

_Darius is slipping, gasping, struggling._

_A thick red liquid- blood?- weighs down on his armor as he struggles up the river bank. A thousand faceless people are all around him, howling with rage and hate._

_"You killed us!" they roar. "You servant of the Devil! Foul, decrepit monster!"_

_Darius's legs are seized by a creature in the river he's trying to escape from. He screams as something sharp sinks into his flesh. He begins to lose his grip on the muddy bank he's trying to climb up._

_"Please!" he cries, "Please I don't want to die! I don't want to be damned to Hell for my sins!"_

_The crowd_ _gathered around him sneers, their features twisted in disgust. They grab his arms and shoulders as their bodies begin to split into tendrils. What's left of them coils tightly around Darius, restricting his movement._

_"I'm sorry!" he screams. "I'm sorry for all I've done to you!"_

_"Fool! You think that begging forgiveness will make your soul any less defiled?!"_

_He submerges fully into the blood river again and thrashes weakly, trying to find someway to free himself. It's of no use. Mocking laughter erupts all around him as spots dance before his eyes. Something hurts-hurts? What hurts?_

_Chinks of his armor begin to fall one by one and gashes cut across Darius's body as his own skin unfurls. He clamps his teeth together in a desperate attempt to not scream. The blood that fills the river now- his blood- is black._

_"Servant of the Devil!" the crowd chants. "Unholy demon- borne from the pits of Hell! How many of us did you slaughter for your great king? How many of us did you drown, just like this?"_

_Darius feels himself grow faint. Suddenly nothing hurts. The crowd is distant. The river has no wetness as he sinks further down. Black blood surrounds him like a dark cloak, and his vision begins to fade._

_But he knows he is dying and as he tries to give one last cry for help, the liquid all around him lashes out. It fills his mouth, his nostrils, his ears, his eyes, until all he can see- all he can feel- is the darkness and he-_

* * *

Darius jerks awake with a gasp. His hand flies to the dagger under his pillow and his amber eyes scan the tavern room he's spent the last night in as he breathes heavily.

"Darius?"

He whips around, his blade ready before he meets the concerned azure eyes of Lionel. The blond man scoots closer to Darius slowly before grabbing his wrist. Lightly, his hand travels to the dagger in his lover's grip, and he takes the blade. Setting it on the nightstand as he has countless times before, Lionel turns back to Darius.

He says nothing, only eyes the dark-haired man with tender concern. The blond traces the curve of his jaw, fingers brushing against his lover's stubble, and then draws him close.

"Another night terror?" 

Darius nods. He leans into Lionel's embrace. He feels himself slowly relax at the steady thumping of the his companion's heart, and the warmth he exudes. Darius reaches out to touch Lionel's soft curls and inhales deeply.

"They've gotten worse," he whispers.

Lionel kisses his forehead and his grip around Darius's waist tightens.

"Was it any different this time?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"This time when my skin began to unfurl, my blood was black."

The blond man takes a sharp breath. He tilts Darius's chin up and looks him in the eyes.

"We're soldiers," he says. "We carry out our duties for our king and our country. We've committed terrible atrocities-" and here Darius lets out an anguished sob, his frame shuddering, "But in doing so we prevent the same things from happening to our own people."

Darius grips Lionel's shirt and wrings it. The coarse fabric bunches up between his fingers.

"I never wanted to hurt _anyone,"_ he chokes out. "This isn't the glory I used to dream of."

His lover gives a humorless chuckle.

"We all fantasied about becoming knights and saving fair ladies. How far from the truth those delusions of grandeur were."

They lay back down, disentangling for a moment, and position themselves so that they're on their sides facing each other. Lionel flings an arm over Darius's hip and the dark-haired man nestles against him, burying his face into his chest.

"Lionel?"

"Hm?"

"I don't want to go back to sleep just yet."

There's a beat of silence. Then the blond glances down at his lover and smiles.

"It's alright. We can stay like this for a while."

**Author's Note:**

> Does anyone have any feedback?


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